Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
Tripawds is your home to learn how to care for a three legged dog or cat, with answers about dog leg amputation, and cat amputation recovery from many years of member experiences.
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Cheese on the floor! No problem! The snapping jaws of the GATOR at work! GULP!! 🙂
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
Can't believe I just found this forum thread....I saw the blog posts, but missed this. I blame it on work! So happy for you guys, he sure is beautiful. I believe there were 7 paws that pointed him your way....
Paula and Nitro
Nitro 11 1/2 yr old Doberman; right front amp June 2014. Had 6 doses carboplatin, followed by metronomic therapy. Rocked it on 3 legs for over 3 years! My Warrior beat cancer, but couldn't beat old age. He crossed the Bridge peacefully on July 25, 2017, with dignity and on his terms. Follow his blog entitled "Doberman's journey"
"Be good, mama loves you".....run free my beautiful Warrior
He settled in nicely for night #2. Wants the physical connection of touch, but doesn't crowd me at all. At one point, I was sleeping on my side and his chin was resting on my hip - he's that big! Enzo the cat slept with us for a while - not yet cuddling Gator, but feeling like he can get closer. Clearly recognizes pizza and chips, no real reaction to grain free dog treats - pretty sure there was a family with kids in his past. Getting better with "come." Follows me around like a shadow, but doesn't seem as hyper vigilant. Heard him bark for the first time - a nice deep woof.
Piecing together his backstory - his medical packet shows normal annual check-ups since 2014, all at the same vet. His certificate to allow him to cross state lines and the lead you see in his getting ready to transport picture are from that vet, and their webpage shows active rescue work. I am wondering if he is a foreclosure dog, or some similar circumstances, and the owner surrendered him to the vet for reforming (and not to a shelter). By the way, yesterday I realized that he was wearing a paper collar with a hand drawn heart, his name and "Op. Res.". Operation Rescue?
Angel wings - he does have noticeably lighter, almost white, fur on his shoulder blades.
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
Rehoming, not reforming.
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
Love the image of him resting with his chin on your hip 
Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, 23 November 2023, adopted 12 January 2024.
Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...
He sounds like a real sugar pie 🍰 soooooooo happy for the three of you 💗💗💗😘🐶
Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-)
Yep...angel wings. I think of them as a sign that your angels sent him.
Do you think it's possible to contact the vet where he had his medical care in the past to find out more about him? I would have to imagine that they would be very happy to hear about him. And fortunately, there are no medical privacy laws that would prohibit them from telling you about his past.
I love that he's already settled in on the bed. It doesn't sound as if it will take very long before Enzo decides that it's fine to have another warm body to snuggle with.
Love hearing these Gator stories! And yes, he is certainly just about the biggest Lab I've ever heard of. We thought that Ollie was big at 90 pounds! He looks like he fits his frame without any excess, though. Just simply a BIG boy.
Kathi and the Turbotail April Angel...and the Labradork
Murphy is a five year old Lab/Chessie cross. He was hit by a car on 10/29/12 and became a Tripawd on 11/24/12. On 2/5/13, he had a total hip replacement on his remaining back leg. He has absolutely no idea that he has only three legs!
UPDATE: Murphy lived his life to the fullest, right up until an aggressive bone lesion took him across the Rainbow Bridge on April 9, 2015 and he gained his membership in the April Angels. Run free, my love. You deserve it!
Yes, I don't think he is overweight, just big. I'm not even entirely sure how much to feed him. I'm giving him slightly more than Otis got and he seems fine. My vet sees him on Tuesday, so I will know for sure. I am tempted to do one of those doggie DNA tests. With Otis, the Dane part was obvious in his body structure and appearance. With this big boy, I am seriously wondering Irish wolfhound? Something about his legs.
I was was actually thinking about sending a photo down to the vet so they know he is happy in his new home, although I bet the lab rescue has already done so. I sent them a couple that they could use on their website and relay down the chain of drivers.
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
Yea can't imagine a lab being that big with just lab alone in him. Max was 110 pounds and I thought he was huge with his long legs and huge big head. Gator sure doesn't look overweight just very muscular. Are his ears as soft as they look? I just love stroking those soft lab ears. Bet he's loving the cooler Illinois weather too. So nice of you to share your happy happy homecoming pictures with the rescue group Christine. I'm sure it's gratifying to them to see such a wonderful happy ending as this one. Happy happy update!!
Glad to know Gator is feeling comfortable enough to engage in dropped food patrol!!
How wonderful this is all sounding - so delighted Enzo is getting interested.
Lisa, Minneapolis
On October 27, 2016, nearly 6 months after amputation, and 18 months since his cancer likely started, we lost Pofi to a recurrence of Soft Tissue Sarcoma in his spine quite suddenly. His canine sister also succumbed to cancer on March 1, 2019 - we lavished her with our love in the interim, but life was never quite the same without her only real canine friend. Cliff kitty had to leave us, too, suddenly, in August 2019. Lucia kitty grieved all these losses, but helped us welcome two new Lurchers into our home and our lives, Shae and Barley.
Sitting in a car on the way to dinner, wearing a black evening gown and realizing I have yellow dog fur on it. Yellow, must remember he is yellow. Not that black dog fur would be appropriate with the outfit either . . .
He is doing well. He loves critters, and spends time running back and forth around the gazebo - I think there are chipmunks under there. A bit problem if he sees a squirrel or rabbit when we are walking. I am just not strong enough to control 125 pounds of raw force. I have finally found a treat he likes (the stinky liver treats I used to give pills with) and today we made real progress with "come," even interrupting critter patrol to come get a treat. And yet he clearly knows that the cats are part of his pack, and are not critters.
Got his Village dog license today, so he has his first piece of bling. To the vet tomorrow.
Still miss Otis and Tess, but Gator's presence in the house feels right.
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
I was in Florida all weekend and without my computer, but I did see your blog post with Gator's pictures. He is absolutely adorable! I had tears in my eyes when I saw him. What a doll. I'm so happy for you & your daughter, and the fur babies, too.
My friend that I was with this weekend does dog transports. I've been with her on a couple now, and yes, it's great! She helps to arrange transportation for dogs from all over Florida to wherever. And makes great friends along the way. She was telling me about a dog they recently sent all the way up to Ohio. Even a semi driver helped out 
Donna
Donna, Glenn & Murphy
Murphy had his right front leg amputated due to histiocytic sarcoma at 7 years old. He survived 4 years, 2 months & 1 week, only to be taken by hemangiosarcoma at 11 1/2 years 6/12/17
Read about Murphy's Life on Three Legs
It's amazing how quickly Gator is adjusting to his furever home. It's as though he knows this is it! He can relax and feel confident that he is home and will NEVER be given away again!
Simply said...but so true: "Still miss Otis and Tess, but Gator's presence in the house feels right."
I also love the visual of Gator wanting to "snuggle" with you resting his big head on you! And the fact that he feels the cats are part of his pack, and he part of theirs.
As far as the dog hair on your dress........
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
PS...Hope you connect with Gator's previous Vet and get more backstory. And I agree, I think they would also love to hear from you AND to know how happy Gator is...and will continue to be!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
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